Sand reel for well-drilling rigs



1,646,123 1927' E. TIMBS ET AL v SAND REEL FOR WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed June 8, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 2 Oct 9 7 E. TIMBS ET AL SAND REEL FOR WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed June a, 1925 :5 Sheets-Skeet 2 E. TIMBS ET AL SAND REEL FOR WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed June 8, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 18, 1927. 1,646,123

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Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD TIMBS, OF LOS ANGELES, LEWIS E. ZER-BE, OF MONETA, AND FREDERICK vou SCHLEGELL, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO UNION TOOL COM- PANY, OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SAND REEL FOR WELL-DRILLING RIGS.

Application filed June 8, 1925.

This invention relates to oil and other deep well drilling and operating equipment, and relates particularly to improvements in sand reels and their auxiliary operating devices which are a part of standard and of combination standard and rotary drilling rigs.

In the standard well drilling rig as customarily constructed, the sand reel is placed in the derrick between the engine and the band wheel with its shaft substantially parallel to the shaft of the band wheel. In drilling operations, the sand reel is used to wind up or pay out the sand line. The sand line is used primarily to handle the bailer and for certain other auxiliary drilling operations. These operations, especially those of handling the bailer, require theprovision of means to secure great flexibility in the handling of the sand reel. It must be capable of allowing the bailer actuated solely by its own weight to run freely into the hole at great speed, and yet be always under perfect control. Such braking means must be provided that the descending bailer can be quickly brought to a stop at any point, and yet so gradually as not to cause any jar or shock which would tend to snap the sand line.

In filling the bailer, and in such operations as measuring and marking the depth of the hole on the sand line, the sand reel must be provided with means by which it can be easily and conveniently handled so that the bailer can be alternately raised and lowered gently and easily and without grabbing. This provision is necesssary to enable the driller to determine or judge by the feel of his operating device just what is taking place in the hole.

In the drilling rig used at the present time this delicate yet positive control of the sand reel has been accomplished by mounting the bearings of the sand reel shaft in such manner that at one end it can be swung forward and back from a neutral position by means of the knuckle-post. In its neutral position, the sand reel is entirely disconnected from the driving and braking means and is free to rotate and thus to respond to any pull on the sand line. This allows the bailer or any other weight attached to the Serial N0. 35,824.

end of the sand line to run freely into the hole.

When the knuckle post is swung forward, the friction wheel of the sand reel assembly is moved forward into frictional contact with the face of the revolving band wheel. By this means the sand reel is so rotated as to wind up the sand line and to raise whatever may be attached thereto. When the knuckle-post is swung to the rear of the neutral position, the friction pulley is brought into frictional contact with the back brake by which the rotation of the sand reel in either direction is restrained. The motion of the knuckle-post is controlled by a single lever manipulated by the driller and which is conventionally positioned just forward of the Samson post from which point all drilling operations are controlled in the standard rig. By this arrangement the driller has full control of the action of the sand reel and is thus able to control all the operations for which the sand reel is employed.

The difficulty with this arrangement as heretofore used is that the frictional drive between the band wheel and the friction pulley is destructive to the outer surface of the band wheel; that it is difficult to at all times maintain a positive driving connection between the band wheel and the friction pulley; that whenever slippage occurs between the band wheel and friction pulley the resultant heat due to friction is a source of danger due to the liability of setting lire to the dry and inflammable surface of the band wheel; and also the heat generated by the friction of the brake pulley against the back brake generated in checking the bailer when running into the hole at high speed constitutes a further fire hazard that is extremely dangerous especially in Wells that are gassing freely.

Attempts have been made in the past to reduce this fire hazard by providing the sand reel with two pulleys, one a friction pulley for driving, the other a brake pulley for braking, and by this means seeking to reduce the concentration of the heat generated in both driving and braking into two portions. In addition, devices have also been provided by which the faces of these friction and brake pulleys were covered with non-combustible brake bands. These, however, did not eliminate the lire hazard which is always present when the wooden surfaces which conventionally constitute the band wheel and back brake are subject to prolonged friction.

Our invention consists in the use of a sand reel shaft which is placed in permanent bearings so that it is at all times held in alignment parallel to the shaft of the band wheel; and the substitution of a chain drive connection between the band wheel or its shaft and the sand reel in place of the frictional drive heretofore employed. In our device, the necessary flexibility in the driving engagement between the band wheel and the sand reel is accomplished by the use of a friction clutch mounted upon the shaft of the sand reel, and through which the power from the band wheel employed to rotate the sand reel is transmitted; and in place of the: brake pulley and back brake post, we provide a brake drum and brake band; and also provide that the friction clutch and the band of the brake tlllllll be operated by a single lever situated at the point from which the sand reel is istemarily controlled in drilling operaons. By this means we are enabled to en- 1 \y dispense with the employment of wooden surfaces for either frictional drivor braking; and also provide on the clutch housing a pulley directly in line with the band wheel and the drive pulley of the engine so that the engine drive pulley may be connected directly by means of a belt to the clutch housing pulley and the band wheel shaft driven by the chain from, the sand reel shaft. pumping stroke may befgiven the oil well pump through the walking beam while still operating the engine at its normal Working speed. i r 4 The primary object of our invention is to provide a sand reel and the driving and braking means therefor which will be more easily maintained than the apparatus at present in use, and which will eliminate the fire hazard now always present where the sand reel is driven .by frictional contactwith the band wheel and braked by contact with the back brake post.

Another object of our invention is to provide an engaging connection between the band wheel and the sand reel more flexible and efiicient than the friction drive at present in use.

Another object of our invention is to en able when desired a more positive drive to be imparted to the sand reel than can be obtained by the apparatus at present-in use.

Another object of our invention is to en able the sand reel assembly .to be employed as a countershaft between the engine and the band wheel, whereby the latter can be By this means a long, slow rotated at slow speed for long-stroke pumping, and t the same time enable the engine to be driven at its normal operating speed.

This function cannot be performed by anv of the sand reel arrangements at present employed.

Another object of this invention is to proride means for easily and quickly disengaging the chain sprocket on the band wheel shaft from engagement therewith so as to positively disconnect the sand reel assembly from the band wheel during drilling operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for operating the sand reel assembly independent of the band wheel assembly for bailing thewell.

Another object of this invention is to provide means whereby the sand reel may be used Without the necessity of disconnecting the well pumping equipment Another object of this invention is to provide clutch for the sand reel shaft drive that is of the disc type which gives great flexibility to the sand reel used with less liability to grab, and which permits a more positive clutch engagement when desired.

The invention and various further features, objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from a description of a preferred form or example of a sand reel embodying the present invention. for which purpose reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view of a cable tool drilling rig with our improved sand reel installed.

Fig. 2 is a plan, partly insection, of our band wheel and sand reel, showing the driving connections between the band wheel and the sand reel and the braking means for the latter.

Fig, 3 is a sectional elevation of the sand reel looking from the band wheel.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing the brake drum and its operating levers.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the disengaging clutch on the band Wheel; and

Fig. (3 is a sectional view of this clutch.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the same numerals refer to the same elements in the different figures, 1 illustrates a derrick mounted on'the usual mud sills 2. 3 indicates a primary source of power of any suitable form such as a steam engine, gas engine,

electric motor or the likefmounted on the sills 2 customarily at the point farthest removed from the derrick 1. The engine 3 drives the'band wheel 4 mounted on the band wheel shaft 5 which carries the crank 6. The crank 6 has a number of bolt holes 6* formed therein so that the crank arm of the walking beam may be connected along its length to varythe strokeof the. well to freely rotate.

pump as desired. The customary drive from the engine 3 to the band Wheel 4 is through a belt 7.

Means are also provided for driving the sand reel shaft 12 directly from the engine of the motor above referred to, which means preferably include a pulley 80 over Which the belt 7 may be trained so as to drive the sand reel shaft directly from the motor and means are provided, as will hereinafter be specificall described, for driving the band wheel shaft from the sand reel shaft This use of the sand reel shaft 12 constitutes a counter-shaft for driving the band wheel shaft through the counter shaft provided from the motor, so that the Stroke of the pump, which is customarily connected with the walking beam may be driven with a long slow stroke, at the same time enabling the engine to be driven at its normal operating speed. I

The Samson post is illustrated at 8, which Samson post supports the customary walking beam (not shown). The well hole is illustrated at 9. The sand reel 10 with its flanges 11 is mounted upon the shaft 12 which shaft 12 is journaled at its ends in suitable bearings 13 secured to the sills 2 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Means are provided for driving the sand reel-10 which are preferably of the follow 'ing construction:

A drive sprocket 14 is driven by the band wheel shaft 5 in a manner that will hereinafter he described. The sprocket 14 drives the driven sprocket 15 freely journaled upon the sand reel shaft 12 by means of a chain 16. The driven sprocket 15 is secured to a casting 17 by means of a plural ty of set screws 18. 'The casting 17 is of'larger central bore than the driven shaft 12 and is adapted to receive bearings 19 upon which the casting 17 and the driven sprocket 15 rotate. The casting 17 provides the hub 17 in which the bearings 19 are positioned and a clutch housing 17". A plurality of discs 20, providing a disc clutch of any desired construction or form, are mounted within the disc housing 17". The driven member of this clutch mechanism is the spider 21 which is keyed to the shaft 12 as illustrated at 22. A spool 23 slidably mounted upon the spider is adj'ustably connected through the adjustable toggle links 24 to the clutchengaging cams 25. The spool 23' has a circun'iferential groove 26 in which pins 27, formed on the ends of the shifter fork 28, are journaled so as to permit the spool 23 I The shifter fork 28 is fulcrumed at the pin 29.

' The clutch housing l7 has attached to it the driving discs 17 of the disc clutch. Interleafed with discs 17 are the driven discs 17*" attached to and driving the spider '21. These two sets of discs are frictionally engaged by the clutch engaging cams above mentioned. In this connection it will be well to bear in mind the terms driving and driven above used are merely relative and reversible as will hereinafter appear.

An operating lever 30 is positioned in the derrick at a point forward from the Samson post 8 at the customary point or position from which the drilling operations are controlled.

The handle 30 is connected with a transversely extending shaft 31, which shaft 31 is connected at its opposite end by means of a rocker arm 31 to a connecting rod 32 which connecting rod 32 connects at its opposite end to an operating lever 33 which operating lever 33 extends downward and connects with or is formed integrally with the operating shaft 34, which shaft 34 is 1:0- tatably supported on standards 35 mounted upon one of the sills 2. The opposite end of the shaft 34 is connected with a lever 36 which lever 36 connects with and operates the bell crank 37 which bell crank 37 is fulcrumed at the pin 38 and connects with the end 39 of the shifter fork 28 as illustrated at 40.

Means are provided for arresting the motion of the sand reel 10 which means are preferably of the following construction:

A brake wheel 41 is rigidly secured to the shaft 12 and is preferably tonstructed of steel or like material and provides a eripheral channel 42 in which a brakeban 43 of any desired friction material 44 is positioned. One end 45 of the band 43 is rigidly secured to a U bolt 46 which U bolt is secured to one of the sills 2 of the derrick 1. The tension in the brakeband 43 is adjusted through the ends 47 of the U bolt 46. The opposite end 48 of the brakeband 43 is secured to the pin 49 which pin 49 passes through and is secured in position at the ends of the rocker arms 50 which rock arms 50 are secured to or formed integrally with the bushing 51 which is rigidly secured to the operating shaft 34.

Referring now to Fig. 4, when the rod 3 is moved to the right the brakeband 43 is tightened on the wheel 41 so as to stop the rotation of the sand reel 10, This motion of the connecting rod 32 at the same time rotates the shaft 34 and through the connections 37 and 28 disengages the disc clutch 20 which allows the driven sprocket 15 to rotate freely upon the shaft 12. On moving the rod 32 to the left in'Fig. 4, the brakeband 43 is disengaged from braking contact with the wheel 41 and on further movement to the left of the rod 32 the disc clutch 20 is engaged to cause the sand reel 10 to be driven from the band wheel. It will thus be seen that there are three operating positions of the rod 33. When'the rod 33 is substantially in a vertical position" lil the sand reel 10 is disengaged from both driving and braking means and may revolve freely. When the rod 33 is moved to the right in Fig. 4 the rotation of the sand reel 10 in either direction is arrested and when the rod 33 is moved to the left from substantially the vertical position. the clutch is engaged to cause the sand reel 10 to be connected with the band wheel 4 to rotate the sand reel to wind up the sand line 52.

It is thus seen that the discclutch provides means whereby the sand reel may be entirely free from operating engagement with the band wheel 4 and therefore the device will function properly if the sprocket 14 is rigidly connected to the band wheel 4 or the band wheel shaft However, in order to relieve the rig from the necessity of continuous operation of the chain drive during such times as it is not desired to employ the. sand reel 10, it is preferable to provide means for easily ant. positively disengaging the sprocket wheel 14 from the band wheel 4 or/and shaft 5. e prefer therefore to employ the means illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 for disengaging the sprocket wheel 14 from operating ongagement with the band wheel 4 and shaft Keyed to the band wheel shaft 5, as illus' trated at 53, and preferably secured to the band wheel4 by means of bolts 54, is a hub which hub 55 may be the hub customarily provided for in such a band wheel 5 and which is provided with jaws 56. The sprocket 14 isprovided with an elongated hub 57 loosely journaled on the shaft and the hub 57 also provides jaw members 63 which are so aligned with the jaws 56 of the hub 55 that the same will rotate in the same plane with the jaws 56 and are in a circle of jaws 56 formed on the hub 55 of the band wheel 4.

Formed in the web of the sprocket wheel 14 are openings which are concentrically aligned with the jaws 56 and 59 so that the jaws 59 of the clutch-engaging member 58 may project through these openings 60 to engage the jaws 56 of the hub 55. The hub 57 of the sprocket 14 is provided with a circumferentially extending shoulder 61 which fits within the recess 62 formed in the clutch-engaging member 58 and by means of which shoulder 61 the sprocket. 14 is maintained in alignment upon the shaft The jaws 59 of the engaging member 58 project through the openings 66 in the web of the sprocket 14 and engage simultaneously the jaw 56 of the hub 55 and the jaws 63 of the sprocket hub 57.

Secured .to the post 64 upon which the bearings which support the band wheel shaft 5 are mounted is an arm 65 to which arm 65 an operating lever 66 is pivoted as illustrated at the pin 67. The arm 66, together with the member 68, forms a fork 69 to the ends of which fork 69 pins 70 are secured. The pins 70 are adapted to fit within a circumferentially extending groove 71 formed in the clutch-engaging member 58 so that by moving the upper end of the arm 66 outward from the drawing in Fig. 5, the clutch-engaging member is caused to be engaged with the jaws 56 and 63 as hereinbefore described.

The provision of this jaw clutch on the band wheel shaft 5 for engaging the sprocket 14 therewith enables the sand reel 10 to be completely disconnected from the band wheel 4 and a belt 'to be connected over the pulley on the disc clutch housing 17, so that the sand reel 10 may be driven direct from the motor. This is particularly desirable in bailing and like operations wherein it not desired to employ in any way the band wheel 4.

Although we have described a particular type of jaw clutch which will be preferable to use in the conventional layout of a stand ard drilling rig, on account of the limited space provided between the band wheel and the main post carrying the bearings which support. the band wheel shaft 5, it is understood that any operative type of clutch might be employed.

Having fully described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and details thereof set forth, but our invention is of the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

I 1, In a rig for drilling and operating a well, the combination of a band wheel, a shaft supporting the band wheel, a sand reel, a sand reel shaft supporting the sand reel, driving means between the sand reel shaft and band wheel shaft, and a belt pulley upon the sand reel shaft positioned in alignmentwith the band wheel, permitting either the band wheel or the sand reel to be driven by the same pulley on the motor.

2. In a rig for use in drilling and operating a well, the combination of a band wheel,

a shaft supporting the band wheel, a sand reel shaft supporting a belt pulley upon the sand reel shaft positioned in alignment with the band wheel and driving means between the belt pulley and band wheel shaft, said driving means including a clutch on the band wheel shaft, permitting either the band wheel or the sand reel to be driven by the same pulley on the motor.

In a rig for drilling and operating a well, the combination. of a band wheel, a

s aft supporting the band wheel, a sand reel.

a sand reel shaft supporting the sand reel, a belt pulley upon the sand reel shaft positioned in alignment with the band wheel, and a driving connection between sand reel shaft and band Wheel shaft. said driving connection including a clutch on each end thereof, permitting either the band wheel or the sand reel to be driven by the same pulley on the motor.

4. In a rig for drilling and operating a Well, the combination of a band Wheel, a shaft supporting the band Wheel, a sand reel, a sand reel shaft supporting the sand reel, a belt pulley upon the sand reel shaft positioned in alignment with the band Wheel,

and a driving connection between the belt pulley and band Wheel shaft, said driving connection including a clutch for disengage ably connecting the belt pulley to a sand reel shaft, said pulley being mounted on and adapted to drive one element of the said clutch, permitting either the band Wheel or the sand reel to be driven by the same pulley on the motor.

Signed at Torrance, Calif, this 26 day of 25 May 1925. 

